US 'Taiwan Fortification' Operation Provokes China... "Arms Sales to Taiwan Are a Disaster" (Summary)

Chinese State Council "Firmly Opposes US Arms Sales to Taiwan"
US Department of Defense Launches 'Taiwan Fortification' Operation
Taiwan Becomes Frontline of US-China Conflict in South China Sea... Tsai Ing-wen Visits Radar Base

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The Chinese government has strongly warned that the United States' push to sell advanced weapons to Taiwan and the full-scale implementation of the "Fortress Taiwan" operation will be a "disaster for Taiwan." Amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and China in the South China Sea, there are growing expectations that Taiwan will emerge as the frontline area of the conflict between the two countries.

According to the overseas edition of the Chinese Communist Party's official newspaper, People's Daily, on the 14th, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of China, stated at a regular briefing on the 14th, "We firmly oppose the U.S. selling weapons to the Taiwan region," and strongly warned, "It will only bring great disaster to the people of Taiwan." She also criticized the Taiwan government, saying, "The Democratic Progressive Party authorities colluding with external forces to seek independence by force is nothing more than a mantis trying to stop a chariot with its forelegs." Earlier, on the previous day, Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also warned, "The U.S. actions seriously interfere in China's internal affairs and undermine China's sovereignty and security interests," adding, "China will take just and necessary measures depending on the situation."

China's warnings have intensified amid escalating conflicts between the U.S. and China, linked to the U.S. push to export seven types of advanced weapons to Taiwan, including cruise missiles, drones, and mines. According to foreign media such as the AP News, on the 13th (local time), the U.S. government is pushing to sell seven types of advanced weapons to Taiwan despite China's protests. The U.S. government reportedly requested congressional approval to sell five types of weapons, including the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), the long-range air-to-ground missile SLAM-ER, data links for F-16 fighter jets, the MQ-9 Reaper, and Harpoon anti-ship missiles. Approval requests for underwater mines and anti-tank missiles are also expected to follow soon.

This move by the U.S. government is interpreted as being linked to the "Fortress Taiwan" strategy promoted by the Department of Defense since the Donald Trump administration took office. It is known that the total value of weapons sales to Taiwan decided last year exceeded $10 billion (approximately 11.4 trillion KRW). The scale of weapons Taiwan has decided to procure from the U.S. over the past two years is evaluated to surpass the total amount of weapons Taiwan procured from the U.S. between 1979 and 2018.

Despite China's strong backlash last year, the U.S. government approved the sale of F-16V fighter jets and the Taiwan-specific M1A2T version of the M1A2 Abrams tank to Taiwan. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and China in 1979, the U.S. severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in accordance with China's "One China" principle and has intermittently sold weapons to Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act, but only at a passive level considering relations with China.

The Taiwan government, undeterred by China's warnings, has strongly expressed its determination to defend its territory. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen visited a radar base of the Taiwanese military and emphasized that Taiwan can sufficiently defend against China's threats. According to local media such as Taiwan's United Daily News, during her visit to the Lushan radar base in Taiwan the previous day, President Tsai stated, "I have confidence in the military's ability to defend against China's airspace threats." President Tsai toured the "Air Force Surveillance and Warning Center" within the base and encouraged military personnel, noting that they quickly identify missile trajectories and respond promptly within a short time.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.